Archive for the ‘Startups’ Category

My Mixergy Interview: 11 Tips to “Get Out From Under The Minutia Of Business”


November 23, 2011 by Jared Goralnick

Andrew WarnerIt’s all about the preparation. Andrew Warner (pictured right) knows this—that’s why his entrepreneur interviews on Mixergy are so popular.

I was lucky enough to be interviewed last week by Andrew, where we dug into some practical lessons-learned and shared stories and tips.  The video is embedded below.  So grab some holiday tofurkey and get ready to be productive…

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Struggling with struggling: from homework to real work to impact


September 26, 2011 by Jared Goralnick

Harry Goralnick, someone who always is willing to learn and growIn 5 days I turn 30.  Cue the tiny violins.  The truth is, I’m not struggling.  But perhaps that’s the problem.

Remember when we had homework and tests?  It was tedious and difficult to get A’s.  But even without a report card, the best results require the same struggle.

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How to solve the two biggest problems with distributed teams.


September 15, 2011 by Jared Goralnick

Working in MadridI’ve spent nearly ten years working with distributed teams.  Working from San Francisco, DC, Buenos Aires, and Barcelona has offered me perspective, freedom, and a unique sort of productivity.

But there are two common problems that will sabotage any distributed team’s progress.  We fight them every day at AwayFind, and here’s what we’ve learned.

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Kicking ass, with no regrets.


September 12, 2011 by Jared Goralnick

Weighing the options (Chris Akelian photo)I kick ass…but not at most things.  I have no regrets…except for a few.

It’s no secret our greatest asset is time and our greatest predictor of success how we spend it, yet most of us have grown into our roles and task lists without giving it much thought.

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Pitching your startup when you’re not the founder. Don’t be this guy—don’t let people know your baby’s ugly.


January 20, 2011 by Jared Goralnick

Ugly babyI was underwhelmed by the pitch.  The assistant that presented it lacked passion, vision, and several fundamentals.  He didn’t know me, and he shared unnecessary and unhelpful things about him.

Don’t be that guy.  Founder or not, everyone should be able to represent their startup.

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Local tech is not good enough for your startup. Find your own community, wherever you need it.


January 11, 2011 by Jared Goralnick

I hadn’t thought too hard about community until the recent round of “local tech pride” websites started popping up.  Fred Wilson popularized the topic and soon came Proudly Made in DC and BaltimoreTech.net.

For a time I wasn’t sure where I belonged…and then I realized that I could choose my community regardless of location.  Maybe if we all worried less whether our needs were fulfilled nearby, we’d see just how much we can be part of, and that there are no walls or beltways to stop us.

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When your team comes out of beta


December 13, 2010 by Jared Goralnick

Sergio's Thumb's UpLast week it wasn’t just the AwayFind application that came out of beta, it was the whole company.  Entrepreneurs hear all the time that it’s all about team, so we have intelligent responses about how our team is perfect for the job.  But it’s usually not.

Don’t fire your team after reading this, but do consider how to get to a better place.  Growing (with) your team is as important as building your product.

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Big news: new company, new city and more of the same


July 26, 2010 by Jared Goralnick

SET Consulting's original logo I had to make a choice.  If you’ve known me the past couple years, you’d have seen that I’ve spent a lot of time away, and that I’ve been doing two different jobs.  Well, instead of living a second life, I’ve opted for some changes.

As of July 17, SET Consulting has a new owner.  As of August 30, I’ll have a new city.  (this logo above is SET’s original 2002 logo…) Continue reading…

Theme for 2010: Swim


January 4, 2010 by Jared Goralnick

Diving in, by zen Last year I suggested we should choose just one word and label it a theme for the year ahead.  I reported back on that theme last week.

This year is a similar theme, but it comes from a very different basis—the word is swim.  I’ll explain after the jump…

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Knowing when to sprint with your startup


December 9, 2009 by Jared Goralnick

head to head bicycles Conventional wisdom is if you want something done fast, you’re going to pay a premium.  Or that if things are rushed, quality suffers.  But in a product business, time is the most expensive and dangerous enemy.

There is a time to sprint, and not just because you want to work harder.  Consider this:

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